Thai death toll in Israel rises to 20, number of hostages revised upward to 14

Kanchana Patarachoke, director-general of the Department of Information and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the Thai ambassador to Israel had received reports from Thai workers in Israel about the deaths of two more Thai workers. The number of injured Thais from the attacks have risen by four more workers, taking the total to 13.

"Three more Thai workers have been detained by the Hamas group, taking the total number of hostages to 14," Kanchana said.

Currently, it is impossible to confirm the safety of Thai workers, as the war continues, she said. However, the ministry was confident that Thai workers were not the target of the Hamas group, she added.

She clarified that 14 Thai workers freed from a dangerous area were not the group of 14 being held hostage. It is believed that assistance is being provided to Thais and other foreign workers in the high-risk area, but this information has not been disclosed publicly, she said.

She added that efforts would be made to coordinate with their employers and the representatives of the labour group in the area in the cases of workers with whom the embassy had not been able to establish contact.

Workers whose documents were held by their employers would be issued a travel document called "Certificate of Identity" by the Thai embassy to facilitate their return to Thailand. Embassy officials will be stationed at the airport to prepare various documents for those workers who need to return.

The spokesperson also revealed that as of October 10, a total of 5,019 workers had expressed their desire to return to Thailand, while 61 workers had chosen to stay back.

The first group of 15 Thai workers will arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10.35am on October 12.

The ministry assured that the process of evacuation would proceed as quickly as possible, despite the challenging situation in Israel.

She also emphasised that Thai workers who had received assistance and moved to safe areas to work with new employers could also sign up to return to Thailand. Once the situation stabilises, the Ministry of Labour will coordinate with Israeli authorities and job placement agencies to facilitate their return to work without any loss of rights. Thai workers also have the right to refuse to work in a war zone and hope that employers would prioritise their safety, she said.

When asked how some other countries had been more successful and swift in evacuating their citizens, Kanchana clarified that this was primarily the case for countries that were geographically closer to Israel. These evacuees are predominantly tourists who can be easily moved out of the country, unlike Thai workers who are dispersed across various regions.